Child&#39;s place setting tray



May 3. 3.96@ P. L. FRWZ CHILDS PLACE: SETTING TRAY Filed. Feb.

INVENTOR pau! l.- FP'Z ATTORNEY,Lrg

United States Patent CHILDS PLACE SETTING TRAY Paul L. Fritz, Allentown,Pa.

.application February 5, 1958, Serial No. 713,435

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-86) This invention relates to a childs feeding trayadaptable for attachment to 'tables for adult use, having means thereonacting as a catchall for receiving food, liquids and articles dropped bythe child during eating.

It is a well known problem in connection with training children to eatfrom a table for use by adults, after having eaten for the infant periodin a high chair, that a child will drop food, liquid and eating articlesin its lap and upon the door, with attendant staining of clothing, rugs,etc. it is therefore a purpose of this invention to provide a childstray adaptable for placing upon a conventional adult type table, havingmeans for effective clamping of the same upon the table againstmovement, and including as a novel feature thereof a shallow trayextending the width of the main tray, acting as a catchall for receivingfood and liquid droppings, and eating articles which the child may dropduring eating.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a childs feedingtray adaptable for attachment to tables and other articlesof furniture,having an upper main tray for receiving food `for the child, eatingsilverware and utensils, and including as a part thereof a shallouI traybelow the level of the main tray, immediately in front of the child,acting as a catchall for receiving food droppings, etc.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a childs feedingtray which preferably includes a main eating tray and an auxiliarycatchall tray; the latter being at a lower level than the main tray andadapted to receive food droppings and utensils accidently dropped by thechild; the improved tray having a novel clamping means for attachment toa table, in a securely fastened relation.

Gther objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description.

in the accompanying drawing wherein is shown only a preferred embodimentof the invention.

Fig. l is a perspective View of the improved childs piace setting trayattached to a table.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the tray structure.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the tray structure fromfront to back, showing its association with a table top.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken through the clamping structure,substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig.. 4, but showing the clamping structureloosened in order to better illustrate the functioning of the clampingstructure in its very effective clamping action with respect to a tabletop.

ln the accompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown the improved childs feeding tray, the letter A may generallydesignate the same. It is adaptable for attachment to a conventionaladult type table B, or to some other horizontal surface or member.

Referring to the tray A, the same may be made of CFI rice

light weight metal, or other materials, but is preferably constructed ofclear plastic in one piece. It includes a main tray wall 10, havingupstanding short side riser walls 11 and i2; a front wall i3, and anopposite shorter riser wall 14 adapted for use immediately in front ofthe child. These walls 1i to i4 inclusive may be convexly articulatelyedged, but joined with the tray wall 10, by concaved fillets 15 for thepurpose of facilitating removal of liquids and food particles from thetray during wiping or cleaning thereof. The front riser wall 13 may beprovided with ornamental figures 20, such as chicks, ducks, or animals,and in the event duclts'arev used the top surfacing 21 may be serratedin simulation of waves.

A tray construction A, furthermore includes a vertical` depending rearwall 25, in right angles to the wall 10,v

the same being of a desired depth and of a length to provide clampreceiving lugs or ears 26 and 27 at the ends thereof and in the sameplane therewith, both of which extend beyond the tray 10.

The improved tray construction A furthermore includes a lower tray wall30, integral with the lower marginal portion of the wall 25, and at alevel appreciably below the main tray wall 10. This lowered tray has anupstanding border wall 31 surrounding the same, which may possess thecharacteristics of the riser walls 11 and 12.

measures only a fraction (about one-seventh) of the` depth, front torear, of the main tray portion 10 which is adapted to receive the childseating dishes and utensils. in fact, the tray 30 is so shallow that thechild can sit sufficiently close to the main tray 10 to eat from it,without being inconvenienced.

Referring to the clamping means for securing the mproved trayconstruction A to a table or other support B,

such clamping means is of an adjustable character and i,

acts with a leverage action during the clamping operation in order tobetter and more rigidly secure the tray upon table B against tipping orother movement.

it will be noted that the clamp receiving ears 26 and 27 extend not onlylaterally of the lower tray 30 but also laterally of the riser walls 11and 12 of the main tray.

On the forward surfaces thereof, that is, the surface facing the edge ofthe table top, these lugs or extensions 26 and 27 are provided withguide ribs 55 and 56 dening a channel S7 therein to receive theupstanding leg portions '5S of L-shaped clamping brackets 59. The lugs26 and 27 are provided with vertical slots 60 therein opening into thechannel 57, for receiving clamping bolt struc-.

tures 61 which can move vertically along the slots 60 and clamp theL-shaped members`59 in position at the forward side of the lugs.

Each L-shaped clamping member 59 includes the leg 53 above mentionedwhich iits for snug vertical sliding engagement in the slot or channel57 between the ribs 55 and 56 so that it cannot tip in the plane of thewall 25. This leg 5S is furthermore provided with a vertical slot 6 5therein, which aligns with the slot 60 and permits of unusual clampingextension for securement of the tray A to table tops of varyingthickness. Each L-shaped clamping member includes a horizontal legportion 67, which extends forwardly in right langled relation to the leg58 and which at the free end thereof is provided with a table topengaging pad 70, which may be made of frictin t'pe, felt, of any otherrather soft or resilient, but preferably friction, material in order tohave a good grip upon the under surf-ace of the table top to which thetray is attached andnot mar the undersurface of the tableV The bolt 61may preferably be a carriage bolt structure having a shank 75 with asquare shoulder 76 which is adapted tot in the slot 65 to be heldtherein against rotation. v The shank has a head 77 which rests at 'thefrontrsurface of the clamping bracket leg S as shown in 4. The rearscrew threaded end of the bolt shank 75 receives a washer 80 and has athreaded wing nut $1, b'y' rnean's of which Ythe bracket 59 may beclamped at the desired vertical lposition for clamping the tray A to thetable top B. i

l In' Figl 5, the parts of the clamp are shown in loose po-V sifio'n'whereby to enable a leverage movement of the Lshaped bracket 59 andinsure a very secure clamping of jtIetray upon the table, againstmovement thereon. It is shown that the bracket 59 is tilted (Fig. 5)Ywhen the n't 81 is loosened. Upon tightening the nut upon theAs'c'revvthreads of the bolt shank '75 the bracket will be brought toits true clamped position (see Fig. 4). This will move the clamping pad70 upwardly against the under surface of the table top B and veryeffectively clamp fhu'tray A against tilting or other movement upon thet-ble B. While inrFigure 5, the leg 67 is shown lowerthe L-shapedbracket 59 can be rotated with the bolt on the bolt axis when the boltis loose in order to place the leg 67 uppermost and the leg 5S independing relation. This feature enables the clamping assembly to'attach the tray to tables having a wide range of thicknesses.

Ihe use of childs tray' will be apparent from the foregoing. Whenclamped to table B, as shown in Fig. 1, them'in tray 10 is positionedentirely above the table surface; and the catchall tray 30 is positionedso the child can sit sufiicie'ntly' close for eating purposes. r[herecess 35 naturally conform Vto the childs body and with assurance thatthe child can eat without soiling clothing, floor rugs and the like.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be' madein the form of invention herein shown .and`described, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

1A. A childs feeding tray assembly for attachment to tables comprising aupper main feeding tray of a width and depth suicient to hold thenecessary food dishes and utensils incidental to th'e feeding of achild, a de 2. An integral tray construction for use incide tal to thefeeding of child comprising r'nain ty porit'ion have ing upstandingboundary walls and constituting an area sufficient to hold the necessarydishes and utensils required for the feeding of a child, a dependingintegral wall at the rrear o-f the main tray in right angled relationtherewith, having laterally extending ear portions in the plane thereofextending beyond the sides of the main tray, acatchall tray lintegrallysecured to the lower marginal portion of said depending wall with anupper surface in a plane below the upper surface of the main tray forreceiving thereon whatever the child may drop from the main tray, saidcatchall tray being in depth-frein front to rear a fraction of less thanone fourth of the depth of the main tray and having an upstandingboundary wall thereon which is relatively shallow and does not extend upto the planeof -the main tray, said catchall tray being of such depththat'a child can lbe seated to the rear of the ltray with the catchallpositiofried between the child and lthe main trayand withoutinconvenience enable the child to reach arid tilizethe dishes andutensils upon the rnain tray, andV means carried by Vthe latrallyextending ears of said depending wall for attachment of the entire trayassembly to a table.

3. A child` feeding tray assemblage as defined in claim 1 in which themeans for attachingthe feeding tray asserribly to a table comprises avertical slot through the'depending wall, an L-shaped ,clamping bracketincluding two vleg portions in substantially right angled relation, abolt having an elongated shank and threaded at one end with a head onthe other end, one of said legs ofthe L-snaped bracket having a verticalslot therealong 'adapted to align with the slot of the dependingwall,'the bolt being extended through said leg slot with the head of thebolt engaging said slotted leg and with the other leg extendingforwardly and adapted "to be engaged beneath a table top for theclamping of the tray assembly upon the table top, said bolt shankextending"r through the slot of the depending wall and rearwardly ofsaid wall having'V a nut assemblage threaded thereon, said shank beingof suincient length that the L-shaped bracket may V tilt forwardlybefore placement of the tray upon the table whereby to facilitate theplacement of the table clamping leg beneath a-table top, said L-shapedbracket being rotatable upon the axis of said bolt so that it may bepositioned in inverted L-shaped relation with the table clamping leg upy permost and the depending slotted leg lowerrnost.

pending wall connected to the rear of the main feeding tray, 'saidcatchall tray being appreciably shallower in V y depth than thegdepth ofthe main tray so that a child eating from themain tray can be positionedand seated to the rear of the catchall tray but sufliciently close tothe inain tray for reaching and eating Jfrom the articles supported bythe main tray, and means for attaching said feeding tray assembly to atable.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS HarmonDec. 2,

